The Sutta Central Forum Management Committee (SCFMC, FMC, management committee) was formed during 2023-4. It is a small group of volunteers who have long-term experience with the Forum and a commitment to promoting its health and wellbeing as a place where all people interested in Buddhism and the EBTs can communicate with each other in a safe environment. Its aims and duties are explained below.
The aims of the management committee are to:
- promote informed discussion from EBT experts and enthusiasts
- present a diversity of voices (race/ethnicity/gender/LGBTQIA+ inclusive)
- support discussion of current societal issues in a manner which is aligned with the EBTs
- build an online spiritual community for thoughtful discussion and discovery of the Early Buddhist Texts in order to deepen understanding and application of the Buddha’s teachings
- provide a place for translators and programmers involved in projects related to the EBT
The duties of the management committee are to:
- collaborate with Bhantes Sujato and Brahmali
- steer the direction of the forum
- support the moderation and admin teams
- support volunteers who are in technical and other roles
- hold meetings as needed to formalise written chat discussions and post minutes in the management category
- hold regular meetings (3 or 4 a year) with moderators and admin to discuss the direction of the forum and see that minutes are placed in the management category
- review forum rules and guidelines in the light of changing circumstances or issues within the community
- keep users informed about forum developments, policy changes, and important announcements through regular updates posted in the meta category.
Structure and conduct of the management committee
| Stakeholders | What they do | What they want |
|---|---|---|
| Bhante Sujato | Original concept and implementation. Forum mission and vision. Contribute material. | For the forum to provide in depth discussion of EBTs & a doorway into Buddhism. Not to be involved in oversight. |
| FMC | Forum mission and vision. Policy and standards. Support to mods (group and individual) | Technical support/implementation from Admin. Policy implementation support from Mods. |
| Admin | Technical maintenance. Run helpdesk. | xxx |
| Mods | Enforcing policy and standards. Categorisation of topics. Welcoming newcomers. Moderation of discussons. Enforcement of rules and penalties | Support from Bhante S & FMC. |
| Users | Contribute material and discussion. Maintain community standards through flagging. | Friendly environment. Minimal but clear policy. |
Every 2 calendar years a post will be placed in the lounge to renew the membership.
Ideally the membership will consist of 1 layman, 1 laywoman, 1 female monastic and 1 male monastic and a person from the trans or gender diverse community (either monastic or lay).
Should Forum members wish to communicate with the Management Committee they can send a PM to @management.